The V Word: Going vegan on a budget

Wallet-friendly hacks, ideas and advice for those looking to go vegan.

PAIGE BUTTERFIELD

You’ll find items like these in (almost) any vegan’s pantry.

“What do you think of when I say, ‘vegan on a budget?’” I asked my omni-boyfriend as I sat down and smoothed my fingertips over the letter keys. I hoped some insight might come to me like a Ouija board.

“It’s hard. Being vegan is expensive,” he said.

I couldn’t believe it. Even my boyfriend, whom I drag grocery shopping with me several times a month, still had the “being vegan is costly” impression.

The easiest, cheapest way to ensure a balanced vegan diet on a tight budget is to buy plant-based foods in bulk. Brown rice, lentils, quinoa and all kinds of beans are a veg-head’s best possee.

Cheap produce is best bought in season at grocery stores or at your local farmer’s market. Pumpkins aren’t the only fall treats around, though. Bell peppers, onions, parsnips, carrots and winter squash are all at their peaks, too. Did someone say soup?